Southern Ontario is going to be a hot, soupy mess, with no relief in sight until the weekend, Environment Canada says.

High pressure over Ontario is bringing southerly winds with heat and humidity from the Gulf of Mexico, said Environment Canada spokeswoman Trudy McCormack.

“Don’t expect any comfortable breezes to make it feel better unless you’re close to the lake,” McCormack said.

But those breezes along the shores of the Great Lakes will only lower humidex values slightly, to between 37 and 39 C.

Darren Calabrese / National Post files The City of Toronto's medical officer of health issued a heat alert Monday morning, as Environment Canada predicted a high of 33 degrees Celsius with a "very high" UV index of 10.

Later in the week, a front will bring cooler and drier air from the north.

Even the setting sun will provide little relief from sweltering temperatures until then, as overnight lows are expected to be around or over 20 C.

The high humidex values in Ontario join part of a wider swath of heat affecting Quebec and New Brunswick while much of southern Saskatchewan has been put on tornado watch.

Don’t expect any comfortable breezes to make it feel better

In cities such as Windsor and Toronto, temperatures Monday were consistent with last year on the same date.

Still, it’s some of the hottest weather the province has seen this summer.

“For most of Ontario this will be the first spell of more than two days in a row of 30 C or more,” McCormack said.

Environment Canada has issued humidex warnings covering much of the province, from Windsor in the south to as far north as Sault Ste. Marie and North Bay, as temperatures near 30 C or higher in most areas.

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During a heat alert, the city advises residents to check on friends and senior citizens who may live alone. Residents are encouraged to cool down by visiting air-conditioned spaces like community centres, shopping malls or libraries.

McCormack is urging people to check on neighbours — especially the elderly, and to avoid intense work or exercise and stay in air-conditioned buildings.

People working outside should drink plenty of liquids, take frequent breaks, avoid high-protein foods and maintain salt levels in the body.

“Definitely make sure you remember your pets,” she says. “You don’t want to leave them in your car — even with the window rolled down they get really hot.”

Michelle Siu / THE CANADIAN PRESS fileCherry Beach in Toronto.

McCormack says Friday could bring temperatures in the 30s, but less humidity.

The heat itself comes as a relief for some. William Tarraran, spokesman for Wild Water Kingdom in Brampton, said the heat is “phenomenal news” for the outdoor water park, which saw higher than average business for a Monday.

Attendance levels have been lower than average this year due to many forecasts of rain, he said.

“If they don’t see sun outside people aren’t going to obviously take a look at us as a destination for that day,” Tarraran said.

Meanwhile in London, Kevin Wu from Chil Frozen Yogurt Bar said it was also busy there for a Monday.

“Everyone has said they definitely need their frozen yogurt in this heat,” he said.

Passengers stranded for hours when flood waters overtook a Richmond Hill GO train Monday evening will each get a $100 GO credit for their troubles.

GO Transit will upload $100 to the PRESTO cards of affected riders to cover out-of-pocket expenses like dry cleaning, the company said in a statement. The credit should be uploaded to the cards by Friday.

“We understand how difficult and uncomfortable the experience was for riders on our 5:30 p.m. Richmond Hill train on Monday night,” the statement says.

@alesssia Hi. We will be issuing a $100 credit to your PRESTO card. If you used a paper ticket, please bring it to Union or any RH station.

A record downpour drenched the Toronto area on Monday evening, causing widespread flooding and power outages and sending an overflowing Don River surging onto the train tracks near Bayview Avenue and Pottery Road.

The 5:30 p.m. Richmond Hill train was quickly surrounded by water. In the next six hours, water poured into the lower levels and the 1,400 passengers climbed to the top level of the 10-car train to stay dry.

Some waited until 12:30 a.m. for police and fire department boats to cart them ashore.

Tom Hicken for National PostGO Train passengers are assisted by rescuers in Toronto.

GO Transit said any passengers from the train who used paper tickets on Monday evening will have to provide proof of their ride to attendants at Union Station or stations along the Richmond Hill line in order to receive the $100 PRESTO card.

The company said it will also consider claims from passengers for property damage from Monday evening’s train ride that exceeds $100.

Normally, when GO Trains are delayed more than 15 minutes, passengers are eligible for a fare refund.

]]>http://news.nationalpost.com/toronto/passengers-stranded-for-hours-on-flooded-go-train-to-get-100-credit-for-more-go-travel/feed0stdWEA Ont Storms 20130708 TOPIXTom Hicken for National Post'Shine has come off the Trudeau Express': Liberal support dropping as Tories make up groundhttp://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/shine-has-come-off-the-trudeau-express-liberal-support-dropping-as-tories-make-up-ground
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/shine-has-come-off-the-trudeau-express-liberal-support-dropping-as-tories-make-up-ground#commentsFri, 28 Jun 2013 18:25:41 +0000http://news.nationalpost.com/?p=330576

Support slipped for the Federal Liberals and surged for the Conservatives this month as new poll data shows Justin Trudeau’s party would win a minority government if an election were held today.

Thirty-eight per cent of Canadians polled said they would vote Liberal, a dip from last month’s all-time high of 44%, according to a Forum Poll for the National Post.

Support for the Conservative party grew three percentage points compared to last month, with 30% of those polled saying they’d cast a vote for Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Tories.

“It appears a bit of the shine has come off the Trudeau Express since last month,” said Lorne Bozinoff, Forum Research president.

“Whether it’s a temporary blip or the new normal remains to be seen.”

Support for the NDP remained stable at 20% while 6% said they would vote for the Bloc Quebecois and 4% for the Green Party.

The new slump in electoral support for the Liberals means they’d win a minority government of 150 seats, compared to last month’s majority government of 192 seats.

AFP / Getty Images and The Canadian PressThe Tories would win 133 seats, a boost from 77 last month. The NDP would win 39 seats, up from 37 last month. Green Party leader would retain her single seat and the Bloc would take five seats, up from just one last month.

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The Tories would win 113 seats, a boost from 77 last month. The NDP would win 39 seats, up from 37 last month. Green Party leader would retain her single seat and the Bloc would take five seats, up from a single seat.

Thirty-three per cent of Canadians polled approve of the job Harper is doing, up from 29% last month. Fifty-eight per cent of Canadians also think it’s time for Harper to retire.

The majority of Canadians — 61% — believe it’s time for a change in Ottawa, while 31% do not and 8% are unsure.

If Harper did retire, the poll says 9% of Canadians would choose Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall to replace him as the leader of the Conservatives over the others on a list of possible candidates.

Thirty-eight percent of those polled said they didn’t have an opinion on Harper’s replacement, while 29% said no one on the list would make a good leader.

The poll results are based on the results of an interactive voice response phone survey on June 18 of 1,525 Canadian adults selected at random. The results are considered accurate +/- 2%, 19 times out of 20.

A major Conservative cabinet shuffle is all but certain sometime this summer. Harper has asked his ministers whether they plan to run in the next election as he prepares for the shuffle in advance of a run to 2015.

Peter MacKay is already widely expected to be moved from his post as minister of defence, a portfolio he has filled since 2007 and reportedly enjoys, and some believe it would make sense for the minister to decide now is the time to step aside.

Rumours are also circulating of the planned resignation of Public Safety Minister Vic Toews.

It’s expected that Finance Minister Jim Flaherty will be shuffled from finance against his wishes due to questions about his health and likelihood of running in the next election.

Baird, Kenney and Moore are also expected to be moved as Harper attempts to put a new face on his government for 2015.

TORONTO — A Toronto Centre by-election to replace retiring MP Bob Rae will put a Liberal once again in the coveted seat, says a new public opinion poll, as rumours circulate over who plans to run.

Forty-nine per cent of voters in the federal riding say they will vote for a Liberal candidate, while 25% said they will vote for the NDP, according to results of a Forum Poll for the National Post.

“It’s not that surprising to see a riding which has been Liberal for 20 years (and Red Tory before that) continue in the Liberal fold, and Bob Rae has been a very conscientious constituent representative,” said Lorne Bozinoff, president of Forum Research.

Regina Doherty, a Teachta Dála (similar to a Canadian Member of Parliament) tweeted back at the foreign affairs department, asking whether the display of alcohol consumption was something Ireland wants to celebrate.

“Is this REALY the image of Ireland we want to promote?? Young Irish women are dying from liver sclerosis for Gods sake — real shame,” wrote Doherty, a Fine Gael party member.

@dfatirl is this REALY the image of Ireland we want to promote?? Young Irish women are dying from liver sclerosis for Gods sake – real shame

In all fairness, the Irish Foreign Affairs tweeted photos of Harper doing activities that didn’t involve alcohol, like exploring a secret passageway in Farmleigh, the Irish state guest house, visiting a tall ships museum and meeting with the Irish president and prime minister.

Going through a secret passageway at Farmleigh. For you Clue fans it's in the study, with the candlestick. http://t.co/2gShSoGMlD

Conservative MPs eager to mock Thomas Mulcair after the NDP leader ran several stop signs on Parliament Hill — with the RCMP in pursuit — were rewarded when he failed to make an appearance in question period Thursday.

“I hate when the real NDP leader gets caught in traffic,” Heritage Minister James Moore said Thursday in the House of Commons, as the Tory caucus roared with laughter.

“Why is it the NDP thinks they’re above the law?”

A CTV report from earlier in the day said Mulcair didn’t stop for the RCMP at a “vehicle screening facility” when he entered the Hill. Instead, he waved to officers and continued to drive.

He ran through four to five stop signs as the RCMP followed in a vehicle with its light on and didn’t stop until he got to his parking space behind Centre Block, CTV reported.

Mulcair allegedly asked an officer: “Don’t you know who I am?'” After looking at the officer’s badge, he then allegedly said: “You’re going to be in a lot of trouble.”

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The NDP leader apologized to the officers involved. A statement from his office explains that he drove through the open gate, as he does every day, but the officer on duty didn’t recognize him.

“Once notified of the misunderstanding, he had a very respectful discussion with an officer,” the statement says.

“He then immediately went down to clear up the misunderstanding with the commanding officer.”

Moore used each question from the NDP to argue that Mulcair’s alleged misconduct, and his absence in the Commons, are proof he’s not fit to lead the country.

“Today, yet again, the leader of the NDP has made it very clear that he does not have the temperament to be prime minister of Canada,” he said.

“If the NDP believe in accountability and responsibility, their leader should show up the house and explain himself and why he broke the law.”

Amid plenty of yelling from all sides in the Commons, House Speaker Andrew Scheer warned Moore twice about the inappropriateness of pointing out the absences of MPs.

But even Scheer made his own stop sign joke in question period. As he tried to achieve quiet in the Commons, he said: “Order. We’re going to put this to a stop very quickly.”

The Tories cheered loudly.

The NDP generally ignored the Tories’ comments about Mulcair to focus on the senate scandal, although at one point MP David Christopherson thanked the speaker for giving him the “green light” to ask a question.

MP Megan Leslie said she wished the Conservatives would take question period seriously.

International Development Minister Julian Fantino, a former Toronto and Ontario police chief, was even lobbed a question by a Tory backbencher so he could denounce Mulcair’s “insult” to police around the country.

“The leader of the NDP should stop denigrating those who serve, stop opposing our efforts to get tough on crime, and stop acting like he is above the law.”

Conservatives also brandished pieces of paper with red stop signs bearing the words “Stop Mulcair” as they came out of the House of Commons, flashing them for television cameras and photographers.

This isn’t the first time a member of Parliament has been in trouble for running security on Parliament Hill.

In October 2010, Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre, who was parliamentary secretary to the prime minister at the time, blew through the security screening facility after growing tired of waiting for his turn.

Conservatives played down the resulting controversy as “trivial,” while New Democrats demanded the prime minister punish Poilievre.

“The prime minister’s parliamentary secretary thumbed his nose at the police and committed a major flagrant breach,” Angus said then. “We know the member was caught and publicly spanked, but will the government take responsibility and send a clear message that it does not tolerate that abusive attitude from its ministers?”

NDP leader Thomas Mulcair was forced to apologize Thursday after driving through several stop signs on Parliament Hill while being pursued by a Mountie in a vehicle with its lights on.

A CTV report, which cites sources, said Mulcair didn’t stop for the RCMP at a “vehicle screening facility” when he entered the Hill. Instead, he waved to officers and continued to drive.

He ran through four to five stop signs as the RCMP followed, and didn’t stop until he got to his parking space behind Centre Block, CTV reported.

Footage of the incident shows Mulcair’s black vehicle driving inside the Hill’s secure area as a police cruiser follows close behind.

Mulcair then allegedly said: “Don’t you know who I am?'” After looking at the officer’s badge, Mulcair also allegedly said: “You’re going to be in a lot of trouble.”

The NDP leader’s office says the misunderstanding occurred when Mulcair waved at the officer on duty, as in his custom, and drove through the open gate.

“The officer didn’t recognize him, leading to a misunderstanding,” says the statement from Mulcair’s office.

“Once notified of the misunderstanding, he had a very respectful discussion with an officer. He then immediately went down to clear up the misunderstanding with the commanding officer.”

Despite Mulcair’s office claiming the matter was settled “cordially,” Twitter was not so forgiving. Soon after the story broke a “Stop Mulcair” meme — using a photoshopped image of rebel page Brigette DePape — quickly made its rounds on social media.

An alert was issued earlier in the day for the city of Edmonton and some surrounding areas as a tornado appeared to have touched down near Pigeon Lake, which is south of Edmonton, according to the Edmonton Journal.

The region is also experiencing severe thunderstorms with heavy rain, hail and lightning. The storm is currently over Devon and will move into Edmonton from the southwest at a rate of 35 km per hour, Environment Canada said.

]]>http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/tornado-warning-issued-for-edmonton/feed1stdA tornado watch is underway in Drayton Valley, Devon, Rimbey, Pigeon Lake, and the city of Edmonton. This photo of a tornado was taken on the north side of Pigeon Lake.Fired councillor slams Toronto mayor for lack of 'respect' — but Ford has very different version of eventshttp://news.nationalpost.com/toronto/no-courtesy-or-respect-councillor-slams-toronto-mayor-over-sacking-as-feud-with-fords-intensifies
http://news.nationalpost.com/toronto/no-courtesy-or-respect-councillor-slams-toronto-mayor-over-sacking-as-feud-with-fords-intensifies#commentsTue, 11 Jun 2013 14:05:34 +0000http://news.nationalpost.com/?p=321929

An outraged Councillor Jaye Robinson criticized Rob Ford Tuesday for not removing her from his executive committee in person, while the Toronto mayor provided a different version of events.

Ford said he tried to reach the North York councillor six times before making the public announcement and accused Robinson of distorting the truth.

Ford announced Monday he had removed Robinson, a week after she suggested he “step aside” to deal with a series of allegations, including that he smoked crack. The mayor replaced her with Councillor Anthony Perruzza, a member of the Ontario New Democratic Party.

“It is unfortunate that the mayor did not have the courtesy or respect to remove me from executive in person, face to face after two and a half, nearly three years of service,” Robinson told reporters on Tuesday.

“It is unfortunate that the executive committee can no longer tolerate reasonable, informed disagreement. It is unfortunate that divisive and polarizing attitudes are dividing our great city and alienating communities.”

Robinson’s dismissal marks the first time the cabinet-style executive committee will be comprised of all men since it was created by council in 2007. There are now 13 men on the committee.

There are 45 members of Toronto city council, including the mayor. Fifteen of those councillors are women.

When the mayor spoke to reporters at 11:45 a.m. on Tuesday, he denied he removed Robinson from his executive because she had called on him to step aside if he was not prepared to answer questions about the crack allegations.

Despite the optics, Ford said the move was designed to “bring some fresh blood on the executive and go in a different direction… The optics are whatever you want to perceive them as.”

He countered Robinson’s complaint that he had not reached out to her in person to deliver the news, saying that he tried on six different occasions to contact her before making the announcement.

His staff sent her several emails, and he phoned her and visited her office twice trying to settle the issue, Ford said.

“She did not want to come to my office,” he said. “When you try to get a hold of somebody six times and they turn around and say ‘you never got a hold of me,’ that’s completely not true.”

Ford went on to praise Perruzza’s qualifications, and listed off a couple of instances in which the New Democrat had voted with the administration.

“It’s good to have a bit of a different opinion. There is no secret that he is left of centre, but that’s not a bad thing,” said Ford.

The mayor also downplayed the fact that his executive does not have a single woman sitting on it.

“When you look at how many women I have, three of the four community councils, Councillor Augimeri, Councillor Fletcher, Councillor Berardinetti, are chairs of community council, which is very important,” he said.

Plus, the Speaker is Frances Nunziata, and Karen Stintz heads up the Toronto Transit Commission.

“When you say there is not women in leadership roles, I beg to differ,” he said.

Robinson also criticized Ford for using his brother, Councillor Doug Ford, as his unofficial spokesman, claiming her constituents wanted to hear directly from the mayor.

Before Rob Ford made his own comments, Doug Ford fronted the media, telling reporters Robinson’s dismissal had nothing to do with her saying the mayor should step aside.

“We’re going in a new direction, folks, and Anthony Perruzza … shares the same priorities as the mayor,” he said.

“We want to move forward … I don’t think this is a big deal at all about shifting one person to another. The only people making a big deal about it is the media.”

Asked last week by a television reporter about Rob Ford’s response to allegations that he has smoked crack cocaine, Robinson said, “We haven’t really heard definitive answers to the questions regarding the allegations and if he is unwilling to do that the next best step is to step aside, take a leave of absence to resolve the issues and then come back after that.”

Tyler Anderson / National Post "I will continue to stand up and speak out when the situation demands," Councillor Jaye Robinson said.

Two days later Doug Ford shot back at Robinson, saying, “You’re throwing rocks in a glass house and she’s not even at work,” adding that she had missed a meeting of the civic appointments committee. Ford also said the meeting had been cancelled because of her, which was not true.

An enraged Robinson retorted: “I’m sick as a dog. Flat on my back. He is just retaliating because I stood up on the mayor’s issue… It makes you lose faith with the ongoing antics.”

In a news release Monday, Ford said only “I want to thank Councillor Jaye Robinson for her work on the Community Development and Recreation Committee.” His office did not return a call requesting further comment.

Robinson said she was dismissed via a phone call to her staff.

“At 4 p.m. yesterday the mayor’s office advised my staff that I was off executive. Before that, I was at ward meetings and ward events,” she said.

“I got a call from the mayor’s staffer that the mayor would like to see me in 10 minutes, which is physically impossible.”

Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong, a member of Ford’s executive committee, who said he had come down to the press gallery to hear what Robinson had to say, noted that it is Ford’s prerogative to appoint whomever he wants to the executive committee.

“In the past people have been removed from the executive for less,” Minnan-Wong told reporters, recalling that, in 2007, former mayor David Miller removed councillor Brian Ashton from his executive committee after the Scarborough councillor “for voting against the land transfer tax.”

Minnan-Wong noted that the mayor is showing an openness to different points of view on his executive committee.

“A new member was appointed to executive, Councillor Perruzza,” Minnan-Wong said. “Councillor Perruzza is anything but a friend of the mayor.”

Minnan-Wong added: “The mayor was put in a difficult position. Councillor Robinson was making some very personal accusations.”

But a reporter stumped Minnan-Wong when he asked, “Do you think the mayor has been behaving erratically?”

Minnan-Wong paused, was silent, bobbed and wove his head for several long seconds before sputtering, “Over my brief time in the last little while I haven’t seen the mayor act any differently than I have seen in the past.”

Asked, “Are you worried about the mayor?” Minnan-Wong replied, “I think if the mayor has personal problems then he needs to deal with them. I think that in an ideal world the mayor would answer those questions.”

Prince Harry stepped in to protect a fellow soldier from a homophobic attack while training with the British military in Alberta in 2008, a new book reveals.

Lance-Cpl. James Wharton, author of the memoir Out In The Army: My Life as a Gay Soldier, told U.K.media this weekend how Prince Harry prevented six members of another regiment from attacking him after he boasted about a sexual encounter with another soldier.

When the regiment members came to confront Wharton about spreading rumours, Prince Harry climbed out of a tank and defused the situation.

“I worried he was about to make the whole thing worse, but he wasn’t holding back,” Wharton told the Daily Mail.

“I will always be grateful to Harry and I will never forget what happened. Until he went over and dealt with everything I was on track for a battering.”

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Wharton and Prince Harry, third in line to the throne, were stationed together at CFB Suffield, a massive Commonwealth training base located 50 kilometres north of Medicine Hat.

Wharton further explains how he became friends with Prince Harry, who accepted his sexuality, inquired about his relationships and treated him with respect.

“Harry had joined us for a bit of fun, scouted over my photos and asked me a few questions about who people were. I’d pointed out Thom to him and he asked if he was my boyfriend. He seemed genuinely interested,” Wharton writes.

Prince Harry, who was also in Alberta for training in 2007, made headlines when he visited a Calgary bar and chatted up some female bartenders.

The wheels haven’t even lifted off the tarmac yet but the addition of the colour blue to the new paint job of Stephen Harper’s government jet is stirring controversy in Ottawa.

The prime minister’s plane, a CC-150 Polaris (Airbus A-310), recently underwent maintenance, which happens every six years. This time though, that maintenance included a $50,000 taxpayer-funded white, red and blue redesign of the plane’s once grey exterior.

“I wonder how it feels for grassroots Conservative MPs to be forced to defend using tax dollars to play ‘pimp my ride’ with the prime minister’s flying Taj Mahal,” the NDP’s chief attack dog Pat Martin said in question period Friday.

“I wonder if they used the PMO’s slush fund to rebrand ‘air force run’ in Conservative party colours,” the Manitoba MP added.

Deepak Obhrai, parliamentary secretary to the minister of foreign affairs, said he didn’t understand the NDP’s opposition to doing “anything good for Canada.”

“Speaking about this airbus, it will carry a Canadian symbol … I don’t understand what you have a problem against [a] Canadian national symbol, Mr. Speaker,” he said.

HandoutWhile Stephen Harper uses the plane, it also carries high-ranking officials, foreign dignitaries, the Governor General and the Royal Family when they are in Canada.

The Ministry of Defence pointed out the plane must be repainted every six years and that this government has reduced flight costs compared to the Liberals.

“Our government has reduced average annual spending on ministers’ challenger flights by 85% compared to the previous Liberal government,” press secretary Paloma Aguilar said in an email.

“The planned retirement of certain Challenger aircraft will also save taxpayers millions of dollars. By comparison, the incremental cost to repaint the RCAF 001 aircraft is modest — 2% of the total maintenance cost.”

Aguilar also pointed to designs on other RCAF aircraft, many of which include the colours white, red and blue.

The NDP also used question period to grill the Tories over allegations of a secret fund in the Prime Minister’s Office once controlled by former chief of staff Nigel Wright.

“I’ll tell you right now, folks, when it comes down to the election, I’m not promising. I always said if it wasn’t called in the spring, I’d have to reconsider,” Doug Ford said on the weekly Newstalk 1010 radio show he co-hosts with his brother.

“I’ve got to stay down there and focus on the job at hand with Rob [Ford] into the next election.”

The councillor’s comments follow a shift in tone from the PCs, a party that once touted Doug Ford as a desirable, high-profile candidate.

In April, PC leader Tim Hudak said he was excited about the prospect of Doug Ford contesting the Etobicoke North riding, currently held by the Liberals, for the Tories.

He told reporters he admired the councillor’s respect for taxpayers and their money.

Darren Calabrese / National Post filesSome Progressive Conservatives angry that the party lost four of five byelections last week have filed motions to seek a review of Tim Hudak’s leadership at their upcoming convention.

The shift in sentiment from the PCs on Doug Ford appeared to occur after a Globe and Mail story accused the councillor of selling hashish in the Toronto community of Etobicoke as a young adult.

Doug Ford denies the allegations.

On the radio on Sunday, Doug Ford addressed a comment Tory House Leader Jim Wilson made to reporters last week.

“Jim Wilson made a comment that he’s never talked to me before, well that’s just not accurate,” Doug Ford said during the portion of the radio show called Setting the Record Straight.

“Is he trying to distance himself?” Rob Ford interjected.

“Well, I don’t know. But he’s a great guy,” Doug Ford said.

Last week, when asked about Doug Ford’s suitability as a candidate, Wilson told reporters he’d never met him personally, and if he wants to run, it will be up to the local riding association.

“He’s not our candidate,” Wilson told reporters.

On the radio on Sunday, Doug Ford reaffirmed his support for the Tories.

“Between the three leaders, hands down, Tim Hudak,” he said.

“As Ford noted on the radio yesterday and previously, he said his intention was to run if there were a spring election, but left it open if that timing didn’t occur,” Ontario PC Party communications director Alan Sakach told the National Post by email.

“All of our Party nominations are up to the local ridings and I imagine Doug has much support in Etobicoke North.”

Rob Ford faces his own allegations that he smoked crack cocaine in a video viewed by the Toronto Star and the U.S. website Gawker.

Five members of the mayor’s staff have resigned since the scandal broke. Rob Ford also fired his chief of staff Mark Towhey.

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne has raised the possibility of intervening in Toronto City Hall affairs if Rob Ford can’t manage the controversy.

National Post

]]>http://news.nationalpost.com/news/doug-ford-hints-he-no-longer-plans-to-pursue-career-in-provincial-politics/feed0stdDarren Calabrese / National Post filesMulcair gets straight to the point as leaders clash on Senate scandal in Harper's question period returnhttp://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/mulcair-gets-straight-to-the-point-as-leaders-clash-on-senate-scandal-in-harpers-question-period-return
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/mulcair-gets-straight-to-the-point-as-leaders-clash-on-senate-scandal-in-harpers-question-period-return#commentsTue, 28 May 2013 20:21:46 +0000http://news.nationalpost.com/?p=314828

Opposition leaders delivered a sustained attack on Stephen Harper in question period on Tuesday, capitalizing on their first opportunity to grill the prime minister in the House of Commons for answers on the widening Senate expenses scandal.

NDP leader Thomas Mulcair’s questions for Harper were straightforward and short, and free of the accusations that normally define question period.

“When did the prime minister first speak with Nigel Wright about Mike Duffy’s expenses?” he asked.

Harper said he learned of the arrangement on May 15 and prior to that he believed Duffy had paid back the expenses with his own money.

Dissatisfied with Harper’s response, Mulcair calmly repeated himself.

“The question was: when did the prime minister first speak with Nigel Wright about Mike Duffy’s expenses, and how many times did he speak with Nigel Wright in the week preceding his resignation?” he demanded.

In response, Harper said any suggestion he had prior knowledge of the arrangement “is completely false.”

“I learned of this on May the 15th [and] immediately made this information public as I have said many times,” he said.

Sean Kilpatrick / CP filesNDP leader Tom Mulcair asks a question in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, April 30, 2013.

After Stephen Harper’s long-awaited return to Ottawa from a trip to South America, one that saw him avoid a parliamentary grilling about the Senate expenses scandal, the expectation was that the government would face tough questions over the future of the Red Chamber.

Instead it was Justin Trudeau who found himself on the receiving end of a barrage of criticism from the Tories, who seized on controversial comments the Liberal leader made about the Quebec-dominated Senate that have angered western provinces.

While the prime minister was absent from question period on Monday, the well-scripted Heritage Minister James Moore, who also happens to be from B.C., was present to accept questions from Trudeau.

The Liberal leader began by asking if Tory MPs would support an ethics committee motion to study the PMO’s involvement in the Senate expenses scandal.

After pointing out the Harper government supports several separate investigations, Moore quickly attacked Trudeau for telling Montreal newspaper La Pressethe high number of senators from Quebec is an advantage for the province.

“To the Liberal leader, it’s kind of interesting to see him stand in the House and pretend as though he actually cares about Senate reform because he doesn’t,” Moore said. “He made so very clear this weekend that he doesn’t believe in Senate reform.”

Adrian Wyld / CP filesLiberal Leader Justin Trudeau rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Tuesday, May 7, 2013 .

The comments in question were published in a story that ran on Saturday.

“We have 24 senators from Quebec and there are just six from Alberta and six from British Columbia. That’s to our advantage,” Trudeau told the newspaper, in response to the New Democratic Party’s new push to have the scandal-plagued $91.5 million-a-year upper chamber abolished.

“To want to abolish it, that’s demagoguery. It has to be improved,” he said.

Amid heckling from the other side of the House, Trudeau said in question period that western Canadians believe in accountability, but “this government does not.”

He tried to ask a question about robocalls and voter fraud but was ignored as Moore hammered him again over the newspaper comments.

“Western Canadians do believe in accountability and that’s why they threw out the Liberals in the last three elections,” Moore said.

“Don’t worry, western Canadians know accountability and they’ll hold [Trudeau] accountable to what he’s been saying.”

Earlier in question period, NDP leader Thomas Mulcair chastised the Harper government for continuing with “business as usual” despite the Senate scandal.

“Here we go with the Conservative playbook. Plan A: Hide out in South America. Plan B: Blame the Opposition,” Mulcair said, the volume of his voice rising. “Why don’t they try Plan C: Start telling Canadians the truth.”

Moore said if the NDP believe in accountability they will support proposed Senate reforms.

Away from Ottawa, premiers in western Canada took to Twitter to express their disappointment in Trudeau’s characterization of the Senate.

“He did not say, as one who has never smoked crack cocaine might say, ‘I have never smoked crack cocaine,'” Cook writes.

“He said he does not smoke crack cocaine, which is the sort of thing that someone who woke up this morning and decided to stop smoking crack cocaine might say, on the grounds that it’s not presently untrue.”

While the mayor did not take any questions, his brother, Councillor Doug Ford, blamed the entire controversy on “one news source” — the Toronto Star — in a testy statement after his brother’s.

“There is one news organization that accused and has an accusation of a video that does not exist, or we haven’t seen, very simple,” he said, as reporters pointed out that two news organizations have made the allegations.

Doug Ford then took several questions from reporters, although he abruptly stopped taking questions when asked about Gawker. Instead he attacked the website’s attempt to crowdsource the purchase of the video.

“I think it is disgusting . . . That an organization like Gawker would go out there and deal with a bunch of extortionists, a bunch of Somali drug dealers,” he said. “I puts a real tarnish on a great community, the Somali community.”

Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker (Ward 38 – Scarborough Centre) said the mayor lied throughout his statement Friday and said Ford has to resign.

“You don’t have legitimacy to run this government anymore,” he said was his message to Ford. “His tenure is over. The mayor should resign and get some help for himself and his family.

“Take care of yourself. Take care of your family. But he is unable to govern the city anymore,” he said. “The statements he has made are so offensive on so many levels that his tenure as mayor is effectively over.”

Mayor Ford thanked Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday for his support. He also thanked Towhey for his service “and all the work that he has done.”

Two hours after Toronto Mayor Rob Ford left his home in Etobicoke on Friday morning, he slipped into his City Hall office through a back door at 1:30 p.m., ignoring a throng of waiting reporters.

Pressure is mounting on Ford to address nearly week-old allegations that he smoked crack cocaine with Somali drug dealers.

Ford’s own executive committee released a statement Friday afternoon urging him to directly address the explosive allegations in what could be a defining moment in the growing scandal.

Ford left his house at about 11:20 a.m., ignoring shouted questions from reporters who had staked out his residence for days.

“Morning, once again,” a smiling Ford called out before hopping into his black Escalade and speeding away.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Aa8cEsXbzU&w=640&h=390]

A handful of journalists had waited hours in the chilly morning for the brief glimpse of a suit-clad Ford, who appeared to be in good spirits.

Ford entered his second-floor city hall office through a back door. Flanked by staff and security, he again ignored reporters’ shouted questions.

Six members of Ford’s cabinet-like executive signed a letter released on Friday afternoon saying the city needs “continuity and leadership.”

“The allegations need to be addressed openly and transparently,” the letter reads. “We are encouraging the Mayor to address this matter so that we can continue to focus on serving the people of Toronto.”

Councillor Jaye Robinson, a member of the executive, told CBC’s Metro Morning that it was “a call to action,” saying that “every day that this issue isn’t addressed it escalates. So there’s now mounting pressure at City Hall around the mayor and the mayor’s office. It simply needs to be addressed by the mayor himself.”

While it’s unclear whether the executive committee is preparing to run City Hall if Ford stands aside, the statement from councillors considered key allies of the mayor further weakens his hold on power.

“We can do our business here, if the mayor was hospitalized or if the mayor went on vacation or something else happened to take him away from City Hall here, we would still continue on with the business,” Holyday said.

“That’s the way that this is set up. This operation doesn’t depend on any one person and we will continue to do the city’s business.”

When asked how urgent it is that the mayor address the scandal, Holyday said: “Well, I think it’s urgent but again, it’s up to him.”

The deputy mayor, when asked whether Mr. Ford’s unwillingness to address the allegations means the mayor should step down, said he wasn’t willing to say.

Chris Young / The Canadian PressToronto Mayor Rob Ford leaves city hall in Toronto on Thursday May 23, 2013. The mayor has been under increasing pressure to address substance abuse allegations

Holyday said that Toronto is still functioning and he’s tried to reassure the public that city business will go on.

“It’s gone on all week. We’ve had committee meetings take place. We’ve had council take place,” he said. “The water still comes out of your tap. The fire department are still working. You can still get books from the library. I mean every city service that I know of is still working the way it’s supposed to, and it doesn’t depend on one person.”

He confirmed the executive does not have the power to remove the mayor and said he does not believe the committee should prevent the chief magistrate from chairing its meeting next week if the allegations remain unaddressed.

“He is the mayor of the city, elected duly, and until such things change, he’s the mayor of the city,” Holyday said.

When asked if he is comfortable with Mayor Ford representing the city with drug allegations hanging over, Crawford said "not necessarily"

Councillor Gary Crawford, another member of the executive, told reporters he feels the mayor should be speaking out about these “serious allegations.”

“We are concerned and we want to have him address it as soon as possible,” he said. “We’re concerned with the controversy that has happened. I don’t know if [Mr. Ford] has a substance abuse issue myself personally. But everything that I’m hearing does concern me and other members of the executive.”

Crawford went as far as to suggest that he is not entirely comfortable with the mayor representing the city with these allegations hanging over him.

“This is a big issue right now and I don’t know if he has been out in any public events at this point. But there is a concern, yes, that he is out there,” said Crawford.

Councillor Karen Stintz said regardless of the tumult surrounding the mayor’s office, the city will continue moving forward.

“There’s lots of work to be done, there’s lots of skills on council to do it, and I believe that council’s up to the task to make sure we continue to get the business of the city done,” she said.

Asked whether Mayor Ford should step aside, Stintz responded: “That’s a question for the mayor. These are allegations at this point.”

She acknowledged residents have many questions about the allegations and “they should get answers.”

The news of the letter came the day after the mayor’s chief of staff Mark Towhey was fired for confronting the mayor over the drug allegations.

Towhey gave the mayor three options last Friday, a source told the Post: fight the accusations — and lose, resign or go away and get help for his “problem.”

Thursday afternoon, a security guard escorted Towhey out of City Hall following a meeting with Ford and the city manager.

In the parking garage, amid a crush of reporters, Towhey stopped briefly to say goodbye to his “outstanding” colleagues.

“I am no longer the chief of staff,” he said. “I did not resign.”

Towhey would not elaborate on what led to his dismissal, except to say that it was not a surprise. He also would not say what his advice has been to Ford, who is under intense public scrutiny after the U.S. website Gawker and the Toronto Star reported that he had been caught on video smoking what appears to be crack cocaine.

Civic leaders, city councillors and crisis-management experts are urging the mayor to provide a more detailed response beyond his “ridiculous” assertion.

“I’ve given the mayor my advice,” said Towhey. “He can choose to take it or not take it.” Then he shook the hand of the security guard and drove off.

The Post has since learned that Ford and Towhey had a disagreement on the phone Wednesday over the mayor’s desire to host a pizza party for the football team he coached up until Wednesday. The mayor wanted his office staff to help coordinate it and Towhey refused.

The source confirmed the two butted heads over the party, but said that was not the reason for Towhey’s dismissal.

The source said that the former chief of staff had settled on only one option for the mayor — “go away and get help for his problem” — and he repeated the advice during that telephone conversation. The mayor responded by telling Towhey he “might as well just leave,” according to the source, and officially fired him in person the next day.

The source suspects the problem is alcohol-related. The mayor had denied a report in March that suggested he has a problem with alcohol as an “outright lie.” When asked to comment on the alleged reasons for Towhey’s departure, George Christopoulos, the mayor’s press secretary, said the office does not comment on personnel matters.

The only official word of the dismissal came through a statement from the mayor’s office, lauding Towhey’s “valuable contributions.”

Deputy Mayor Holyday would not comment on reports that Towhey was fired because he urged the mayor to “get help for his problem.”

Holyday and Ford were scheduled to be at a briefing at city hall for next week’s executive committee meeting, and Holyday said he would once again implore the mayor to address reporters.

“I would like the mayor to speak up regardless. I’ve said that from the outset: that the only story out there is from the Toronto Star and if the mayor has another version he should be putting that forward so that people can make a decision. At this point hasn’t happened but I think the longer that goes on, the worse it gets,” he said.

Asked how the controversy has affected the perception of Toronto, Holyday said: “I don’t like the city of Toronto being shown in this light but it is what it is and what can we do about that?”

Meanwhile, Gawker issued an update Thursday evening about its fundraising efforts to buy the video from the alleged drug dealers. The website said it has not been in touch with the owners of the tape since Sunday. The campaign has raised more than $150,000 of its $200,000 target.

OTTAWA — The fact that Prime Minister Stephen Harper wasn’t in question period Tuesday did little to deflect the opposition attack over the Senate expense scandal.

Earlier in the day, Harper held a rare public caucus speech to tell Canadians he was “not happy” about the controversy, which saw his chief of staff resign Sunday.

“I’m very upset about the conduct we have witnessed, the conduct of some parliamentarians and the conduct of my own office,” Harper told reporters.

Shortly after, the prime minister left for a three-day trip to South America, leaving a political firestorm behind him.

The Opposition highlighted Harper’s absence in question period before calling on the Tories to bring in the RCMP to investigate the $90,000 “backroom deal” between the prime minister’s chief of staff Nigel Wright and Conservative Sen. Mike Duffy.

“Mr. Speaker, when the going gets tough, the tough get going … to Peru, apparently,” said NDP leader Thomas Mulcair, who also accused the Tories of using a taxpayer-funded lawyer to negotiate the deal that saw the paying back of Duffy’s incorrectly claimed expenses.

Standing in for Harper in the House of Commons, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said the prime minister had no knowledge of the money exchange before it was reported in the media last week.

“This matter has been referred to two independent bodies for review,” Baird said. “We look forward to the results of these reviews.”

Wright resigned over the weekend after admitting he wrote a personal cheque to Duffy to cover the $90,000 the senator owed in incorrectly claimed expenses. Harper claims he knew nothing of the transaction.

Before he left, Harper gave a public speech to his caucus, stressing his long-term plans for Senate accountability and ignoring questions shouted by members of the media.

In South America, he’s expected to trumpet Canada’s economic strength and competitive advantages in mining and energy.

Harper will take questions Wednesday when he makes a joint statement with the Peruvian president, Ollanta Humala Tasso. On Thursday, he attends the Pacific Alliance trade summit in Colombia.

Kevin Lamoureux, the Liberal deputy House leader, plans to ask Commons Speaker Andrew Scheer to allow an emergency debate on the Senate scandal.

In the Commons on Tuesday, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau accused the Harper government of losing its “moral compass” and asked it to produce more details about the deal with Duffy.

“What precisely was the secret deal that the Prime Minister’s Office made with Senator Duffy? Show us the documents.”

Baird denied the existence of a document.

Trudeau then called on the Tories to issue an apology to Canadians.

“Apparently when Conservatives break the rules, they get their debts secretly paid off by their friends in high places. Mr. Speaker, it boggles the mind,” Trudeau said.

“Nobody over there even thinks anybody did anything wrong except get caught. When will they release this secret document, allow for a full investigation and while they’re at it, how about apologizing to Canadians?

Baird again denied the existence of any document, and said he looked forward to the outcome of two independent reviews.

With files from The Canadian Press

]]>http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/when-the-going-gets-tough-the-tough-go-to-peru-ndp-slams-pm-for-trip-in-middle-of-senate-scandal/feed2stdForeign Affairs Minister John Baird speaking in the House of Commons in May.Two earthquakes rattle Quebec, Ontario on Fridayhttp://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/4-8-magnitude-earthquake-hits-ontario
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/4-8-magnitude-earthquake-hits-ontario#commentsFri, 17 May 2013 14:04:17 +0000http://news.nationalpost.com/?p=309803

A 5.2 magnitude quake hit about 20 kilometres northeast of Shawville, Que., at 9:43 a.m., according to Earthquakes Canada.

Although the data initially indicated a 4.2 magnitude earthquake also shook Braeside, Ont., 10, Earthquakes Canada updated its report to say there was a 4.1 magnitude aftershock near the Shawville epicentre at 9:53 a.m.

Buildings in Ottawa and Toronto were evacuated, including the offices of the National Post. The quake touched off an eruption of reaction on Twitter as users reported buildings shaking in Ottawa for several seconds.

The epicenter of Friday’s earthquake was about 50 km away from the epicenter of a June 23, 2010 earthquake but smaller in size, said Natural Resources Canada.

The 2010 earthquake was felt as far away as Kentucky and its likely Friday’s quake was felt throughout eastern Ontario, western Quebec and “well into the States,” said Sylvia Hayek, a seismologist with Natural Resources Canada.

Hayek said there could still be more aftershocks, which she describes as the earth “readjusting,” in the near future.

“There could certainly be… 4.1s in the coming days,” she said.

The original quake on Friday was powerful enough to shake the big stone and brick building that houses the municipal offices in Shawville, said the community’s mayor.

“The windowsill, the walls seemed to shift up and down,” Mayor Albert Armstrong told The Canadian Press. “My cabinet behind me was shaking and twisting.

“I’ve lived here all my life and I’ve never witnessed one like that before.”

Ontario Provincial Police in Arnprior, Ont., not far from the epicentre, say they have received no reports of damage.

A 5.2 magnitude earthquake is rarely powerful enough to cause any major damage.

Natural Resources Canada encourages the public to fill out a “Did You Feel It?” questionnaire on their website, to provide them with more information about the earthquake.

The wife of the Ontario man killed after taking two men for a test drive spoke publicly for the first time Wednesday, saying she was shattered by the news her husband was dead.

“Yesterday was the most horrifying day of my life,” Sharlene Bosma told reporters at the Ancaster church she and Tim attended.

“People tell me I have been so strong and all I know is that I have a beautiful two-year-old girl at home who now needs her mommy more than ever, and needs her mommy to hold it together. So, I know that I cannot fall apart but I am broken because part of me is gone.”

In between sobs and deep breaths, Sharlene read from a prepared statement, thanking Hamilton Police Service for their dedication.

“This is not our desired outcome but I am still grateful to the police for finding him,” she said.

“I want to say thank you to the media for keeping Tim a top news story and for helping to keep Tim on everyone’s minds and hearts these past nine days.”

Sharlene also thanked members of the public for volunteering, sending flowers, making meals and praying.

“We … take some comfort in knowing that Tim has touched so many people,” she said.

“It pains me to do so but I must ask for your support and prayers for the hours and the weeks and the months and even years that lie ahead for us. Because this will never really be over for us.”

Bosma, 32, went missing after he went on a test drive with two men interested in buying his black Dodge Ram truck he’d advertised online.

After a massive week-long search, Hamilton police announced Monday that the married father of one had been found dead, his body “burned beyond recognition.”

Investigators believe Bosma’s body was taken to Waterloo region, west of Hamilton, where it was burned, said Staff-Sgt. Matt Kavanagh, lead investigator in a case that has stirred emotions across Canada and elicited the sympathy of the Prime Minister.

The man charged with Bosman’s murder stood tall and emotionless in a jammed-packed Hamilton court Wednesday morning as he was formally charged with the first-degree murder.

“I understand,” were the only two words spoken by the unshaven Dellen Millard, 27, in court as he responded to the charges.

Millard was remanded into custody until June 13, when he will make his next appearance by video link. A publication ban was placed on evidence in the case.

FacebookDellen Millard is now facing three murder charges.

Millard, who belongs to a wealthy Ontario aviation dynasty, was neatly dressed in dark pants and a beige, collared shirt. His red mohawk, seen in photos on social media, was gone, his hair neatly combed and parted.

Defence lawyer Deepak Paradkar told reporters that once other suspects in the case are apprehended “you’ll get a fuller picture of what’s going on.”

“[He is] extremely concerned with the elevation of the charges. He is presumed innocent. We are defending it, we’re going to plead not guilty. There is a story behind this which I can’t get into but obviously it’s more than it appears to be,” he said.

Police had already arrested Millard over the weekend in relation to the case, but on Tuesday they announced they were looking for at least an additional two suspects.

A second vehicle was waiting on the road at the end of Bosma’s driveway on Monday, May 6, and it followed as the men drove off with their victim, police said video evidence shows.

Sharlene said Wednesday her daughter will grow up knowing her father’s love.

“His daughter will grow up knowing how much he loved her and how would sometimes watch her sleep or chase her through the house to tickle [her],” she said.

“She will know how much he was loved by me, and his family, his friends and even perfect strangers. Tim will always be loved and he will always be remembered, and I love you Tim.”